ebabee likes:imaginative toys Archives

Entries Tagged as 'imaginative toys'

Ebabee Christmas Gift Guide 2015: Gifts for boys

November 17, 2015

Yesterday it was all about the girls so my next Christmas gift guide, has got to be all about the boys. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that I don’t do plastic toys, battery operated toys or anything like that. Instead I prefer toys that require imagination and encourage creative play. So you’ll find lots of fun wooden toys, games, crafts and more. Many of these gifts would work for girls as well, including things like the superhero dress up set – after all girls can be super heroes too, right?

Here are some of my favourite Christmas gift ideas for boys:

P.S. If you want more Christmas gift inspiration, take a look at our Christmas gift ideas for girls, baby boys and baby girls.

Ebabee Christmas Gift Guide 2015: Gifts for girls

November 16, 2015

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought I would share my next gift list. This is a list of lots of gift ideas for girls aged mainly between 4 and 7 years. I’ve tried to mix up the suggestions as not all girls like girly things so I’ve included building toys and superhero stuff too. There are quite a few crafty things too as I always believe in giving gifts that encourage imagination and creativity. So here are my top Christmas gift ideas for girls:

P.S. Here are some Christmas gift ideas for baby boys and baby girls.

Woody the woolly sheep

September 23, 2015

Do you know Les Jouets Libres? I wrote about their beautiful games on the go ages ago and have been keeping an eye on their creations ever since. I spotted a new lacing and knitting toy of theirs when I recently visited Anthropologie and I liked the look of it for Anya. It’s a wooden sheep with holes that comes with a needle and organic wool from French sheep. The idea is to knit the wool on to the sheep and keep the sheep as decoration after. This knitting toy is a great introduction to working with wool because it’s not as complex as knitting, it’s more like lacing.

Anya has been showing a lot of interest in knitting and sewing so this sounded like something she would enjoy. At first she found it a bit tricky as the needle is not one where you thread it but instead you have to almost hold the wool in place. But that is what this crafty toy is all about – teaching patience and perseverance. It occupied her for ages and she persevered with great concentration. She didn’t quite follow the suggested pattern but that didn’t matter as it ended up being her own pattern. I am a big fan of toys like this that teach and challenge a child. Oh the concentration on her little face while she was doing it and sometimes frustration!

Les Jouets Libres have a lovely range of eco toys and games and their range has grown quite a bit since I last wrote about them. We weren’t sent this knitting toy, we bought it because we liked the look of it and think you will like it too especially if you have kids who like to be crafty and enjoy a bit of a challenge. It’s sold as 4+ but I thought it more suitable for 5 or even 6 years. We ended up buying ours online from e-side.

*{Anya wears floral mint pyjama set}

Playful handmade wooden toys from Hungary

August 18, 2015

I am very partial to toys that allow kids to play with them using their imaginations. I have pretty much stopped buying toys for Anya but I do make exceptions for toys that let the child make up different games and allow them to play without any rules, especially wooden toys. So when I came across these beautiful handmade wooden toys from Hungary, many of which are games, I knew that these are the kind of toys that I like to encourage in my home. When the ladies behind these toys offered to send Anya one, I wasn’t going to say no.

All the toys in Eperfa’s collection are inspired by nature and childhood games. The three mums who started this collection are from Hungary and were inspired by the Hungarian countryside where they grew up, played and had many adventures as children.

What I love most about the toys is their simplicity and because of it, the amount of endless imaginative play they offer. Take these wooden eggs that are a rolling game – you put the smallest egg on the floor, stand some distance away and roll the other eggs towards it. The player who gets closest to the smallest egg wins. We’ve had fun playing this game but Anya has also used these eggs for so many other things like making breakfast, egg hunts, drawing eggs – the list goes on. I also love that the eggs come beautifully packaged in a box full of hay, adding to the endless ways in which it can be played with. Similarly the fish puzzle in their collection is a beautiful puzzle of joining up the fish but the fish can be used to play with in so many ways.

I am all for wooden toys like these but sometimes they can cost ten times as much as the plastic ones. Luckily Eperfa’s wooden toys don’t cost the earth. They are very fairly priced especially as they are all handmade and hand painted. And for me, it’s always quality over quantity. Are you a fan of wooden toys?

Simply beautiful wooden toys…

February 8, 2013

When I watch my daughter Anya play, it’s always the simplest of toys that encourage her to use her imagination and create little make-believe situations. She talks to the toys or she talks on their behalf and together they have tea parties, they have sleepovers, they adopt imaginary pets… the list is endless. The other day I found that she had stuck a plaster on the edge of our coffee table and was pretending that it was a diving board. She had managed to make a game out of a humble plaster! So I’m all for simple toys that don’t do much but instead allow the child to imagine what they will and these beautiful animals and cars are a perfect example. No batteries, noise or shiny buttons here, just a piece of smooth wood in the shape of an animal or car and the rest is up to the child.

These gorgeous toys are made to order by a London based design house. They have their workshop in Brick Lane and all the toys are made at the back of their shop. It reminds me of how things used to be done when our parents were kids and sometimes I wish we could go back to more of those ways. But before I get all nostalgic, I’ll stop myself there and go back to admiring these beauties made by Unto this last.

Kiko Kids: Cool Japanese toys

September 19, 2011

I recently discovered Kiko, a new range of Japanese wooden toys for kids. I say they’re wooden toys since they are but they’re not your everyday wooden toys. For starters they’re beautifully designed with simplicity at their core. Beyond that, the toys are made to encourage creativity and imagination in kids.

The first is a set of 100 star shaped wooden dominoes called Tanabata. They’re numbered and can be used in many ways including learning to count. Next you’ve got 2 magnetic chalk boards with a car, traffic signals, trees and mountains. Use the chalk to create your own world and place the little wooden pieces to complete your world. Last is the tree canvas. Draw and paint on it to customise it as you wish. It’s also magnetic so you can stick photo’s, pictures and notes to create a unique work of art that can be displayed in your kiddies play space.

Created by Kaz Shiomi, Kiko toys are cool, they’re good looking and they’re great for creative and imaginative play. And to add to their list of glowing points, they’re reasonably priced too. To get these Japanese toys head to Little Fashion Gallery where they cost from €19 with delivery from €9.

A tea set so charming!

May 3, 2011

I’ve been on a mission to find a tea set for ebabee no.1. She seems to have developed a penchant for pouring tea and sipping it in her little pretend world. So, I began the search and soon hit the (tea set) jackpot when i found this stunner by Vilac. This Nathalie Tea party set has got bags of charm and is just so pretty in a kitschy-cool way. I’m loving the colours, the flowers, the retro vibe and even the little carry case it comes in. So girly, so sweet. Made of metal, it reminds me of the way toys used to be… no plastic in sight, just the way I like it. The Vilac Nathalie Tea Party Set costs £25.43 from Amazon and delivery’s free. I’m off to order mine and am pleased as punch to say tea set mission: accomplished!

P.S. Check out ebabee, our baby auction site with lots of fab bargains.

Quirky 3D Posters: Wall art or play art?

April 14, 2011

Today I discovered a shop called Zoe de Las Cases. French, fun and quirky-licious stuff is what you can expect here. Of all on offer, it was these 3D posters that caught my eye in a big way. You can get a shop, a kitchen or a laundry room to make up yourself. Then, put them up and let the imaginative play begin or just admire them as fabby wall art. What a cool idea. And in the looks department, the colours, the backgrounds, the details are all fantastic. The laundry one even has a little wall cupboard to store all your detergents! Unusual, quirky and oh so much fun! These posters each measure 42x30cms and cost £19.92 each. You can get yours at Zoe de Las Cases where delivery to the UK costs £7.06. They also deliver to the US, so fear not if you reside across the pond, you too can indulge!

Posters first spotted at nobodinoz (that will be a whole other post!)

The happy, sunny Daisy Cooker

September 18, 2010

Ooh la la is what I say to this super-sunny play kitchen from Djeco. The French Djeco make the most delicious wooden toys like this daisy cooker. It’s bright, it’s happy, it’s fab for imaginative play. The sink, hob, oven combo are just the ticket for budding chefs and the included frying pan, cook pot, spatulas, salt & pepper and dish cloth can only add to the cooking fun. The happy yellow and green daisy cooker costs £69.95 with delivery at £4.75 from tickety boo and measures 41 x 50 x 29 cms.

Little maileg mouse with a house

August 19, 2010

I steer clear of anything remotely rodent related; mice, rats, the lot… they really creep me out! But today I came across a mouse that I loved. It’s the Maileg mouse, made by an imaginative Danish company. This Maileg mouse comes with a mouse house that has a roof designed to look like cheese, a matchbox bed complete with mattress, pillow and knitted blanket. For daytime fun the mouse (you can choose boy or girl) has a cotton reel table with tablecloth, chair, teapot and tea cup. And the doorway even has a little bell and crocheted doormat. It’s these tiny details that really appealed as they’re great for encouraging imaginative play.

If you don’t want the whole mouse with the house then they also have some lovely Maileg matchbox mice. The mice come with a matchbox containing mattress, pillow and blanket. Or you can even buy the little mice by themselves… so cute! Prices start from £7.75 and White Shore has a big selection.

If these mice have appealed to you, then check out these whimsical mice mobiles for babies… they’re cute and unique!